Chess champion Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand are selected for the prestigious Arjuna Award
The distinguished list features prominent names spanning multiple disciplines
The announcement highlights India's diverse sporting excellence across board games, track and field, and racquet sports
Divya Deshmukh, Tejaswin Shankar, And Gayatri Gopichand Among 17 Athletes Named for Prestigious Arjuna Awards
Seventeen prominent Indian athletes were named for the prestigious Arjuna Award. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the list recognizing outstanding international achievements, while leaving the Khel Ratna category vacant for the year
Summary
World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete and high jumper Tejaswin Shankar and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand were among the 17 sportspersons named for the prestigious Arjuna Award on Tuesday.
The Sports Ministry, however, did not name any athlete for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award this year.
Also on the Arjuna Award nomination list are Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, Gayatri Gopichand’s women's doubles partner Treesa Jolly, Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver-medallist boxer Narender, and young deaf rifle shooter Dhanush Srikanth.
1962 Asian Games gold medallist footballer I Arumainayagam was conferred the Arjuna Award for 'Lifetime Achievement'.
Divya, India’s fourth female chess Grandmaster, earned the title after winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 in Batumi, Georgia. Tejaswin Shankar recently won a historic decathlon bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Indian to do so in the quadrennial event.
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